Linking Learners l BUSINESS TO BUSINESS LEARNING
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Briefs | |
| 31 Pro-Poor Business Development |
RAVI's experiences suggest that developing pro-poor businesses requires a defined set of activities and milestones of achievement. Public investments have taken us from service idea up to commercial proof of concept. Getting from a viable commercial concept to a successful investment offer is the ‘investment gap’ that needs to be filled. We believe this to be the reason why publically funded project fail to produce commercially sustained services. Three ideas on how to bridge this gap are provided. |
| 30 Market transaction security services |
This briefing note answers some frequently-asked questions about market transaction security services. We start by explaining what transaction security is all about and why it is a business opportunity. We close with a few words on the challenges to setting up such businesses and why modern ICTsí make the provision of transaction security services in rural areas possible now. |
| 29 The Need for Market Reform Now. |
Marketing must be reformed and governments must step up to the challenges. The challenge is joint investment by public and private sectors. The challenge is public policy and private self regulation. Building market services that offer fair trade to all, are trusted, durable, reliable and that can operate at scale in a business where margins must necessarily be low is going to take a lot of money and a lot of time. Investing in a large scale operation thatís trading fairly with small farmers, is reliable and can endure the inevitable droughts is not for those who seek a fast return. |
| 28 New Food Shortages, Old Development Insights and the Need for Transaction Security |
Partnerships between the public and private sectors for a national common venture in transaction security are needed fast, otherwise today’s food shortage will be tomorrows crisis. AMSDP has shown a way forward but it is ending next year. There will be no bumper harvests in Tanzania unless a correctly constructed and resourced private public partnership is developed for transaction security in agricultural marketing. |
| 27 B2B Collaboration for Sustaining Small Farmer Market Access |
All players in the market chain want secure transactions for their produce and their payments. The business to business model presented is a search for ‘win-win’ solutions between many inter-dependent small businesses. |
| 26 Milestones in the Emergence of a Market Access Company |
Public funds are more likely to be effective when a clear set of milestones for commercial services are followed. |
| 25 Market access services go commercial |
To ensure continued flow of benefits to farmers from better access to markets, local market access services need to be commercially operated. |
| 24 Learning agenda for technical support to MACs |
Small, isolated, rural Market Access Companies need support from many different service providers at the national level to establish and run profitable businesses. |
| 23 Learning agenda on operating Market Access Companies |
RAVI groups will now be exploring how to set up Market Access Companies in around forty districts in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The learning agenda includes how to: use Market Information Boards; broker deals and develop income streams. |
| 22 Online mentoring RAVI style |
After face–to–face exchanges mentors keep the learning agenda moving by prompting for ideas and experiences, refocusing the discussions and debates. |
| 21 Operational Strategy for improving market links |
Over the next two years the local learners in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will test their operational strategy for improving small farmer links to markets. |
| 20 Progressive policies for sustainable market development |
Support for: bottom up farmer rganizations; reliable connectivity; learning opportunities for marketing skills; commercial Rural Service Companies and National Company to support local market service companies. |
| 19 Lessons and challenges in rural knowledge management |
Rural knowledge management pays off, nearly two million dollars was the reported increase in turn over from seven districts in Tanzania in one season. |
| 18 Key factors for successful marketing |
Institutions to develop, behaviour changes to promote and development to support. |
| 17 How impact was achieved |
The roles of the district core groups and what they did. |
| 16 Impact on the ground from market access |
Increases in volume of crops marketed. |
| 15 Local expressions on impacts of learning |
Interviews with participants of the First Mile project on marketing changes |
| 14 Learning topics on improving marketing |
Learning challenges of farmer associations and service providers. |
| 13 Ideas on commercialization of services |
A new paradigm for sustaining agricultural services. |
| 12 Status and Achievements of RAVI |
Who are the learners, what practices are they improving and what are the achievements so far? |
| 11 Longer term sustainability of RAVI |
Recommitment to another year of learning through RAVI. |
| 10 User Assessment of RAVI |
Farmers assisted to improve their discussion of demand. |
| 9 Insights on Effective Use of Public Funds |
Learning not only builds capacity it also results in better ways of working in the field. |
| 8 Fostering Demand Driven Services |
Local practice in this programme is built on long years of experience of farmers and service providers in service delivery. |
| 7 Insights on employment and empowerment |
Evidence of empowerment is clear. |
| 6 Achievements of Users |
The assessment of experience with RAVI. |
| 5 The learning topics |
12 learning topics were identified. |
| 4 Internet Communication Practice |
How communicating between local groups stimulates innovation. |
| 3 The local learners |
The history of the local groups. |
| 2 Organisation of learning |
How learners rganized themselves first at the local level. |
| 1 Getting started |
The Linked Local Learning programme on Demand Driven Services is started. |